Two books about work were recently featured in Newsweek, Shop Class as Soulcraft, and The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work. "Shop Class..." by Matthew Crawford focuses on the value of hands-on physical work. He says that the fastest growing demographic group at Community Colleges are people with 4-year college degrees who are going back to get a marketable vocational degree. He promotes the job satisfaction that is attained by having a job with a clear goal that is obviously successful or not. For instance if you are installing a new lighting fixture...does the light come on or doesn't it? Did you do it correctly? Or not?
In The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work, author Alain De Botton looks at work from various angles and time periods. Among other aspects of work, he talks about why we think we should enjoy our work. Why isn't work...work? Why do we think it should be a fun and happy place?
